


Coming Home

by lasairfhiona



Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-21
Updated: 2011-04-21
Packaged: 2017-10-18 10:58:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/188233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richie comes home</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home

Richie walked through the door of the bar and took a deep breath. It was good to be back in Seacouver. Good to be home. He understood more than ever why Duncan kept coming back here.

"Hey, Joe," he said plunking himself down on a stool.

"Hey kid. Welcome back. How was South America?" Joe asked sliding a tall glass of beer toward him.

Taking a drink, he answered, "Good. Won a few races. Had a few challenges..." his voice trailed off. He knew he'd been lucky but didn't want to let Joe just how close it had been for him.

"So I heard," the older man answered wiping the bar nonchalantly.

"Oh..." Richie took a drink of his beer. He didn't know what to say. He'd forgotten Joe might keep an eye on him.

"Want to talk about it?" Joe asked setting his rag aside and resting his elbows on the bar.

Richie shrugged. "I don't know, Joe. The first challenge was actually easy. It was scary he couldn't have been much older than me and from the looks of it didn't have much of a teacher. I tried to talk him out of the challenge, but he was adamant. I didn't want to do it," he sighed stopping his explanation.

"Nothing else you could do," Joe said stating the obvious.

"Yeah... Mac would probably say it was a learning experience."

"Yeah, he would," Joe agreed. "What about the other one?" This was the one he really wanted to know about. It had scared him when he first heard about it and he hadn't had the best of details about the challenge.

Richie finished his beer and pushed the empty glass aside. "Man, he came out of the blue after a race. One I'd won. The next thing I knew he was telling me when and where we'd meet. So after all the hoopla of the race I met him. This guy was good. Almost too good..." he said quietly, his voice drifting off.

Joe reached over and set his hand on top of Richie's. "Not that good obviously..." he meant to encourage Richie. He could hear the young man's fear still in his voice.

"I wouldn't say that," Richie replied. "It was like I was back in training with Mac when he used to send me flying across the floor on my butt. Over and over again. I was cut to the point my clothes were more off than on. I honestly thought it that was it. I still don't know how I took his head. I just don't know..."

"Is that why you came back?" Joe asked. Richie wasn't supposed to be back for another 6 months.

"Yeah," he answered. "I thought maybe I could take Mac into coaching me some more. I'm not ready. I need something more."

Joe knew what Richie needed. The young man had been shaken to his core by that last challenge and he needed his confidence again. Mac could do that for him. Giving Richie's hand a squeeze, he told the young man, "You were right to come home."

Richie nodded and watched as Joe stood and tipped his glass under the tap to pour another beer. Joe was right, he was right to come home. He just hoped Mac would see it that way

 

2005


End file.
